Wesley "Red" Dean Kimball

He was a calm presence, a steady leader, a humorous correspondent, and a bit of a wise guy. He loved airplanes and cars. If he wasn’t flying, he enjoyed working on his classic 1955 Packard Caribbean convertible. He had always wanted to be a flier and spent his life working in aviation.

He was born in Conway Springs KS, and raised in Canton OK where he graduated high school in 1943. He joined the US Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet, and was trained as a fighter pilot. He finished his training in 1945. The war was over but his involvement with aviation was just beginning

In 1947, He was deployed to Guam, where met a Texas girl having her own adventure overseas. He married Mary Jo Barton of Fort Worth TX in 1948. They were together for over 60 years until her death in 2011.

For the next 30 years, he continued to serve in US Air Force, as fighter pilot and flight instructor. He was Director of Operations at the nascent Air Force Academy, where he was a tireless advocate for a cadet flying program. This resulted in the creation of an airstrip on the Academy grounds that would provide the cadets with a taste of actual flying.

He flew with several fighter squadrons as he advanced in rank and experience. In 1968, during the Vietnam War, he commanded the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron in Thailand, flying missions over North Vietnam. He earned a DFC and Silver Star for his actions there.

He retired as a Colonel in 1974

On his retirement he returned to Canton, where he worked as a corporate pilot for a local drilling company. A few years later, he became mayor of Canton, and worked to improve his old home town. In his spare time, he helped organize and announce air shows around the region.

In 1986 he moved to Wichita KS where he took a job as an Instructor at Flight Safety International. He was now training pilots using flight simulators but still found time to do some actual flying.

After retiring from FSI he helped rebuild and restore biplane trainers, the same type of planes on which he had learned to fly. An added bonus, of course, was the excellent opportunity to take them aloft.

He helped establish the Wichita Air Museum and in 2002, at the age of 77 he flew a historical plane from Grants Pass OR, to Wichita KS, to become part of the museum’s collection.

In 2017 he was recognized as a FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot for his over fifty years of safe flight operations.

He is survived by his daughter Kim of Shawnee KS, his son Russell of Seattle WA, his five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at 1pm on Friday October 21 at Westwood Presbyterian, 8007 W Maple St, Wichita, KS 67209

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the music Department at Westwood Presbyterian

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ResthavenMortuary-Cemetery.com for the Kimball family.